There is A Battle between Two Wolves; Despair and Hope. The Question
is Which Wolf Wins? The One You Feed

Abeel’s point of view:

My palms were sweating, hands were trembling and the violent sobs were leaving
my throat dry, which was making me cry harder. The view was really
breathtaking. The edge of the cliff I was standing on was showing how beautiful
my city was. If you haven’t guessed it yet; let me tell you that I was
committing suicide. Why? Well, my mother left me on the stairs of an orphanage
when I was a few days old.

I was seventeen years old, and since no one likes to adopt teenagers and when I
turned eighteen the orphanage wouldn’t support me, I felt that there was no
other option left for me. I felt that I was, am and will be on my own. I took a
deep breath and opened my arms to welcome my end as I jumped, but someone
grabbed my wrist and yanked me back. Obviously, losing my balance I fell on the
ground besides the person who had just saved my life.

I opened my eyes to find a middle-aged man, probably in his mid-forties. I
quickly got up, brushed the dirt off my clothes, and started to walk away. “Hey
kid! Come back here!” He called out, but I started to walk faster. Of course,
he caught up pretty fast and stood in front of me. Was he an Olympic marathon
runner? He was looking at me like I had four heads.

“What were you doing?” he asked.

I wanted to yell at him that he should mind his
own business but I started to cry and you won’t believe that he did let me cry.

“Feeling better?” he asked after I was done crying and I nodded, but he didn’t
let me go. He and I sat on the nearest old, dusty bench. He asked the question
I knew he would; Why, sad in such a beautiful life?” I didn’t lie a bit and
told him everything. He just laughed after listening to my sad story; I looked
at him with pure confusion. But then he asked me if I knew Kamal Hasan. I
nodded and said yes I knew him. He smiled again and said “you know his name but
do you know his story”? I told him that he has made a business empire on his
own. The old man cut me off and said.

“Everyone knows it, but his real story is that
his father had anger management issues and his mother left him because of that.
When he was fifteen he realized that he was done with his life and his father
was too cold to realize that. I still remember, he was standing there like you
but before he could jump, he thought about the story of two wolves; despair and
hope, which one was he going to feed? He decided to feed hope and turned away
from despair. ”

I looked at him with hope and smiled “You see he
didn’t give up”. The man said as he stood up. I quickly stood up too and said
“I won’t give up too. I’m going to feed hope too”.

“What’s your name, child?” He asked patting my head.

“Abeel,” I said quickly.

He gave me a card and said. “When you turn eighteen give me a call”. With that
he left and when I turned the card over, I guess it was my turn to laugh
because the card had a name on it with a number and the name was:

My lovely citizens of Karachi! I
want to say something to you and you must know how much I love you all and
Karachi. Karachi is our city and we have full freedom of everything and we also
have the liberty to go to markets and for outings. You all also know we have
religious festivals of different religions such as Eid, Diwali, and Christmas
etc. And we should spread peace and tolerance in this loving city and country.
For our own sake and freedom, we must spread positivity.

Our
city is blessed with many choices for enjoyment and for outings such as the
seaside, parks, and zoo. Karachi has the biggest steel mill and it was the
backbone of economy of Pakistan, but at some point we fell into some
difficulties. Our city is suffering from many problems. One of these problems
is the menace of terrorism. If we want to solve our problems, we will have to
follow these rules, which I would like to share with you all. We can defeat our
problems if we aim to spread peace in this country and follow these rules:

Don’t make rubbish and just make the
city clean.

Don’t fight with others

Speak politely

Use kind language

Do not hurt any person and punish the
felons

Accept people as they are

Spread freedom and tolerance

Make biggest get together

Love everyone

Don’t break the laws and customs of
your society

Respect teachers, elders, and also you
should help others.

We
should do these things to make our city helpful, peaceful, and progressive. We
should always thank the Lord that He has given us a good city and for making us
humans. If we follow these mentioned rules, our city will become peaceful. I
love my city and its people a lot.

Saturday, November 15, 2014

In terms of sales,
the PlayStation 4 is far ahead of its peers. Recent statistics show that Sony’s
beastly machine has 40% more sales than Xbox One according to ArsTechnica. We believe that the
‘console war’ is now being fought between Nintendo’s Wii U and the Xbox One. It
may get even more cutthroat as Microsoft’s CVP Yusuf Mehdi recently announced
on Xbox Wire that Xbox One shipments
to retailers are nearing 10 million. However, this does not give us any
indication of consumer sales.

If we compare hardware, there is no question the Xbox One
offers more power and graphical capability than the Wii U. The one thing
favoring Nintendo’s little monster is that it is loaded with exclusives. Most
recently, the stylish fighter ‘Bayonetta 2’ was released on the Wii U and
became an instant hit and its 95/100 Metacrtic
rating proves it. ‘Super Smash Bros.’ has already scored 85/100 rating on Metacritic and hopefully it will repeat
the success when it releases on the Wii U on the 21st of November.

The Xbox One may not have as many exclusives as the Wii U but
some of their best include ‘Forza Horizon 2’, ‘Sunset Overdrive’ and ‘Halo:
Master Chief Collection’. This year’s biggest Xbox One exclusive was
‘Titanfall’. Unfortunately, its sequel is reportedly going multiplatform.

But are gamers always looking for exclusives? Some may argue
that exclusives offer a unique selling point for consoles. However, since the
launch of Xbox One and PS4 in November 2013, the multi-platformers performed
better especially ‘Assassins Creed 4: Black Flag’, ‘Battlefield 4’, ‘FIFA 15’,
‘Destiny’ and ‘Watchdogs’. ‘Assassins Creed Unity’ is one of the hottest
third-party titles going into the holiday season. ‘Call of Duty: Advanced
Warfare’ has already scored 83/100 on Metacritic
and is a smash hit.

None of these new multi-platform titles are making their way
to the Wii U. However, this does not help the Xbox One either because some
gamers may chose to play the multiplatform hits on the relatively powerful PS4.
The PS4 has sold 13.5 million units according to Sony’s official figures and
there were fewer exclusives released on it as compared to the multi-platform
titles. Thus, both Nintendo and Microsoft will battle it out on exclusives.

According to a report by Tech
Times in June, the Wii U is on
second place. When speaking to the Seattle
Times, Nintendo of America president Reggie Fils-Aime said, “We think that
the Wii U has a long and vibrant life in front of it. What it needs are games
like Mario Kart 8 and Super Smash Bros for Wii U and Splatoon - those types of
games that can really drive the installed base. We believe if we can do that
effectively the Wii U has a long and robust life”.

Microsoft Xbox division head Phil Spencer will need to make
sure they have the quality of exclusives to match Nintendo otherwise they may
fall behind in the console race. The hotly-anticipated ‘Halo 5: Guardians’ and
‘Quantum Break’ look promising and a new ‘Gears of War’ will be greatly
welcomed by fans.

According to The
Motley Fool, the Xbox One is “a lost cause”, but Mr. Mehdi will surely
disagree!

Wednesday, November 12, 2014

The most beautiful sound in the world is the first cry of a baby. Pure and much awaited. The first thought in every mother's head is....is my baby ok. The first thought in the grandmother's head is........was the ultrasound right? Are you sure it's a boy? Every male, from that very first cry is the most precious living thing for the whole family. Not because he is a child but because he is a he. The pressure of being perfect is now on.

Thanks to feminism and the plight of women who have been living in patriarchal societies since civilizations came into existence, we have ignored the pressures and the plight of men...

Yes, they are the root of all evil

Yes, they are horrible and mean

Yes, we believe strongly in the fact that they have it easy. But do they?

I always assumed men had it simple. They can do what they want, when they want and how they want to do it. But on closer inspection it's not like that. The burdens on a male are as equally suffocating as those on females in society.

As a baby he is well looked after but each mother is worried if her son is growing as tall and handsome as he should. Does he have an aggressive, forceful personality or is he going to be the shy, downtrodden one?

The boy is encouraged at all levels to excel in academics as he has to get a job, not just any job but the most lucrative job there is to offer which of course are in the fields of medicine and engineering. If neither is possible then the alternative is law or maybe banking. Nobody cares if he wants to paint for a living or maybe wants to be a photographer. What if he was particularly good at writing or wanted to become a musician? Mummy jee and Daddy jee will always come up with the same argument……. What will you earn? This is not a respectable profession! What will the relatives think? The conclusion is as usual Mummy jee bursting into tears and Daddy jee threatening the boy with military school.

Sport is viewed as a male area of interest, regardless of his actual interest. He must play and outshine his classmates in playing sports and of course the knowledge of every sport. Imagine the shame Daddy jee has to go through if his son finishes last in the school race. Or what if horror of all horrors he does not have the fit muscular build that Mummy jee can brag about to all the neighbourhood aunties? So what if he loathes sport? That is not acceptable. Is it really necessary for a guy to be this way? Forget about the pressures from the parents, imagine the bullying and taunts he will have to endure in school from his peers! Sometimes bullies can go overboard and children suffer psychological trauma which has dire effects on their personality.

Once he enters university, the ever increasing pressure is now mounting. He must fit in society and do it with such ease as that it seems effortless. The boy now almost a man should be handy around the house, be able to drive his phupos and khalas to the tailor, excel in his chosen field of study, help Daddy jee with the business, start earning and of course be cool enough to be liked by his peers. Girls are able to share their emotions with friends and are allowed to use cosmetics to help themselves feel better and to overcome self doubt. The man whoever cannot do so he must wear each pimple and mark on his face like a medal of honour. Any attempts to hide them will lead to being treated like a leper.

After all these stresses the boy is now a man. Graduated and full of energy, he is searching for a job. Then reality hits……………he realizes becoming Donald Trump might take him a lifetime and he starts with a basic salary (if he is lucky enough to find one). He must now study further and specialize to earn more. Unfortunately, the corporate world is vicious and not everyone can take the stress or able to charm the management enough to get promoted.

At home Mummy jee is now on the hunt for a girl, she has not asked him what he wants or whether he has a girlfriend or not. His needs and wants are not the priority, Mummy jee wants a daughter-in-law she can control and who will be not smart enough to sway her son’s loyalties from her. She must be educated so Mummy jee can show off and be extremely beautiful so that the future generations are guaranteed to be physically blessed.

At first, every relationship has happy moments, laughter and the excitement of being new. Then the reality seeps in slowly and when the euphoria dies down you truly realize if the compatibility is there or not. At this stage he hopes that Mummy jee and the wife get along but he can only hope as most usually there will be rifts and most definitely there will be arguments. Where does the man stand now? How does he give preference to either? Making a choice is impossible and most often leads to the disintegration of one relationship. If he chooses his mother, then his wife and he will always be unhappy and she will make sure he knows about it. If he chooses his wife then the whole world and every relative who cannot mind their business will let him know he was wrong and then of course the guilt inside……

With a growing family come growing needs and demands. Some demands may be unwarranted and too much while other demands are justified and so the poor man must decrease his social activities and search for more avenues to make money. With increased stress and an unhealthy lifestyle comes deteriorating health. The man now hitting 40 is at risk for heart attack, stroke, hypertension, diabetes etc etc

The day he has his son he looks down at him and smiles, thanks God that after he retires he will have someone to take care of him and he will be able to help him provide for the family too. Never does it cross his mind to let his son be. He cannot allow that to happen as he realizes that there is just too much to achieve and it must start from the cradle.

Indeed human beings exhibit their best when the going gets
tough. In our darkest hour, we have to learn to light the candle and the ten
individuals who spoke shared the experiences that have shaped their lives. The
most-anticipated talks of the evening were Sania Saeed, Tina Sani and former
CPLC chief Jameel Yusuf. However, before the day was over I discovered that there
were many unsung heroes about whom I had no idea. The event MC, Umair Jaliawala, kept the
audience engaged throughout with witty humor and excellent introductions.

The
evening was kicked off by entrepreneur Naeem Zamindar who did not talk about
his adventures in Corporate life or the world of Venture Capitalism but instead
led the audience through several meditation exercises. He stated that he had taken
a course called ‘Art of Living’ that changed his life. I
will be honest, I was not too crazy about his guided meditation and he did not
do much to keep my interest and I found amusement in seeing others experience
their inner souls. Nonetheless, not a bad start to the show with some funny
bits that reminded me of PE practice back in my school days.

After the appetizer was over, the main course got me hooked.
This young man is a personal friend but I had never seen him speak in public. I
am talking about photographer extraordinaire Mobeen
Ansari and the minute he started speaking, all eyes were glued to the
stage. He relayed about how he was diagnosed with meningitis at birth and it
affected his sense of smell and hearing.

He truly spoke from the heart as she showed us photographs
of his journeys all over Pakistan, his book, Dharkan: The Heartbeat of a
Nation, that chronicled our country’s icons and heroes and some people we
overlook. An interesting photograph was a reunion of Aamir Zaki and Alamgir
after 30 long years. I loved this guy, and he just mesmerized the audience with
each of his photographs.

Moving on, Rabia Aziz-Rizvi came on stage to talk about her
young daughter who was born with Apert
Syndrome and how she became her child’s voice. She became her normal and
showed that there is more than love a child needs to be accepted and how she
showed through her daughter, that she can rise above the prejudices of our
hypocritical society. I am a firm believer to follow your heart and not stick
to status quo. Bravo Rabia for inspiring all of us!

Mariam Piracha spoke to me personally because I am a writer
by profession. I have been writing since
a young age, and I feel I can express myself creatively most via my written
work. Her awesome project, the Spoken
Stage, gave every young student a platform to be honest on paper and rise
above. She also spoke eloquently and I was very impressed. I would love to
learn more about her work.

We had a performance by Suhai
Abro, a classical dancer who explained through her wonderful technique how
she expresses her feelings through dance and how it enables her to rise above. Her
story about her relationship with her mentor and teacher reminded us of the
times when we burned bridges with people who were once our own teachers and
learned to move on from there. I am not a huge fan of classical dance. She
managed to keep my attention, although I felt her story was more interesting
than her routine.

Digital marketing specialist, composer and singer Daniyal
Noorani explained us to how he came up with his animated short ‘Quaid ki
Batein’. One of the clips he showed educated us about cleaning trash from
outside our homes and that we can eventually clean the whole country this way.
His talk was well-rehearsed and well-timed. He was one of the few who stuck to
the 18 minute rule. I wish the Quaid was at TEDx and I will not be surprised of
his feelings. I bet he would have stood up and saluted Daniyal!

There was a break for around half an hour that turned a
little too long which was expected at an event of such nature. Snacks and
beverages were served and it allowed the audience to network with the speakers
and each other. There were shawermas, mini-burgers and a delicious cake that
really hit the spot J.

Now we come to Sania Saeed — who needs no introduction.
Honestly, she was a bit boring in the beginning but with the passage of time,
she gained my attention when she spoke of the profound impact of her play Aahat
to women she interacted with back in the 90s. She also mentioned a few lines on
her role of Mehrunissa in Anwar Maqsood’s ‘Sitara aur Mehrunissa’ and her
fashion sense that eventually became a statement of its time. To be fair, she
got a little interesting in the second half of her talk, but there was too much
light corporate bashing considering the event had several corporate sponsors.

Ahsan Jameel, CEO of Aman Foundation, came on stage to talk
about depression and mental health. He also spoke highly of his company and his
subordinates. His talk, seasoned with couplets and quotes, reminded us to
follow our passions as well. He meant to say a lot more but due to the 18 minute
rule (that some speakers failed to observe), he had to cut his speech short. I
have to say business grads, you gotta listen to this guy. He is a role model
for any budding CEO. I just wished he
had more time to speak.

Jameel Yusuf was one man who broke the record of longest TED
talk I feel. He went way overtime which actually caused the event to close
around two hours over time. Would you say it was well worth it? He was one of
the key speakers and several people had come to see him, and he had quite a lot
to say. He was awarded the Sitara-e-Jurrat in 1992 and had worked tirelessly
for the CPLC between 1989 and 2003. He was brilliant the entire time and I knew
that everyone in the audience did not want him to stop. He was one of the
marquee speakers and man, if this event had just his speech, it would have been
worth attending.

The man is a living legend and a hero. His speech is worth a
listen and I wish he had more time to complete his story. Umair Jaliawala made
everyone laugh when he sat down on stage and exclaimed that Mr. Yousuf had
committed a serious crime! Tell that to the man who spent his life fighting it!

The show must go on, and so it did. Tina
Sani was one I personally wanted to listen to. Her song ‘Koi Baat Karo’ is
my all time favorite. Anyways, starting off singing, she told her story of how
music became her voice. Her upbringing in Afghanistan and how she learned to
appreciate people of different cultures, something I experienced myself as an
international student in the US. I love music, so to hear Tina talk about what
music meant to her and has defined her personality was amazing. Her talk was a
major highlight and she should return on the next TED. Marvelous singer and
lady!

Finally, we got treated to my friend Yousuf Kerai and his
student Shehroze’s musical performance on table and sitar respectively. As part
of the Tarz
group, these guys have mastered eastern classical music and wanted to showcase
the true music of the subcontinent and that he did in style. Their jugalbandi
was just out of this world. I am a huge music fan and this was the best way to
end the night. It was seeing two maestros in perfect harmony as their
instruments spoke to each other. Some audience members had left and missed out
on a perfect ending to the evening. Yusuf and Shehroze, you guys rocked the
house!

TEDx was in one word: inspirational. I felt refreshed,
energized and enlightened. Between breaks and before the show started, sponsor
activations were well done. Coke’s photo booth (manned by O’ Shoot Photography)
was a great way of taking home a piece of TED with you. There was a nice swag bag,
and Umair even asked us to share the ‘tohfa’ that was in each bag with our
neighbors in the audience. I got a real inspiring message in the one that was
gifted to me by an elegant lady about believing in oneself and not giving up.
That’s the message I want to end this write-up with.

Saturday, November 8, 2014

With over 13.5 million units sold according to Sony’s
official figures, the PlayStation 4 has already crossed the finish line. That is around
40% more than the Xbox One according to ArsTechnica.
The Wii U is a mere spectator. It is time to end the debate once and for all. Sony’s
beast from the east was already a clear winner from the start.

Early last year, we had seen it coming. Sony blew everyone
away with what the PS4 can do. On E3 2013, we saw the big reveal of the console
itself. The sleek and sexy monster was powerful, according to ExtremeTech and screamed next-gen.
Microsoft kept hyping up the Xbox One as the all-in-one entertainment machine
with Kinect 2.0. PR blunders galore on used games and always-online nonsense,
the Japanese juggernauts knew they had won the war before it even started.

Both consoles sold a million units in 24 hours on launch. Microsoft
went back on their ridiculous DRM policies but it was already too late. I personally
could not find a PS4 in stock anywhere but Xbox Ones were not hard to find. Despite
price drops and Kinect-less SKUS, the Xbox One had lost the momentum. The PS4
was designed for success. Not only was it more powerful, it was developer
friendly.

To be fair to Xbox One, ‘Titanfall’ was a major exclusive
that kept consumer interest. Sony had ‘inFamous Second Son’ and ‘The Last of Us’
remaster. Both consoles relied exceptionally on third party titles on launch
for sales but gamers had made their choice. They chose the more powerful
console. Now I know, there will be a few who will debate about launch glitches.
I will be honest, I knew people with BLOD errors on the PS4. But which recent
console launch has not been plagued with glitches and console-killing bugs?
Xbox 360 had the RROD and PS3 had YLOD. Xbox One had disc drive issues.

Lot of excellent exclusives and third party titles will be
released on both consoles, but it does not matter. The war has been won. New console
buyers would want ‘Assassins Creed Unity’, ‘WWE 2K15’, ‘Grand Theft Auto V’, ‘Call
of Duty: Advanced Warfare’ on the better system. We can talk about ‘Sunset
Overdrive’, ‘Halo Master Chief Collection’ and ‘Forza Horizon 2’ for the Xbox
One in the same way we could about ‘Bloodborne’, ‘The Order 1886’ and ‘Uncharted
4: A Thief’s End’ on the PS4.